Statement

Artist Statement - Zari Harat

My practice is an act of visual cartography, mapping the intersections of lived experience, memory, and social engagement. I approach painting as a means of deciphering the world, translating the frictions of human encounter into a language of visibility and belonging. My work weaves a narrative of inclusivity, seeking the shared human ground that exists beneath the surface of cultural and ideological conflict.

This search for commonality is rooted in a life of cultural multiplicity. Raised across different continents and traditions, I developed an early awareness of the nuances of identity. This background has led me to a lifelong quest: to look past the differences that separate us and instead uncover our fundamental similarities. I create my paintings as a form of personal and collective healing, a way to process the complexities of our history and transform them into a shared visual language that prioritizes connection over division.

A cornerstone of this research is the exploration of female eroticism, which I redefine as a primal, universal force. To me, eroticism represents the precise equilibrium between power and vulnerability. It is a reservoir of emotional strength, rooted in the body’s capacity to feel, give birth, and heal, that allows for a coexistence of masculine and feminine energies. By embracing this vulnerability, my work challenges traditional structures of suppression and invites a profound connection to our inner emotional landscapes.

To reach this conceptual depth, my creative process is deeply physical; I paint with both hands, engaging my entire body to translate rhythm and intuition directly onto the surface. I work with fluid mediums, ink, fountain pen, gouache, and self-mixed pigments, alongside rigorous printmaking techniques. Within this process, color and music are structural necessities; they dictate the tempo of my gestures and define the atmospheric depth of each piece.

The energy of the studio begins in my everyday life. I carry sketchbooks as a constant companion, capturing impressions, dreams, and fleeting sensations in real-time. In the studio, these "charged" moments undergo a process of decomposition and reconstruction. I break down complex feelings of our shared experience and reassemble them into paintings that function as a common ground where we can see one another and reconnect.

Ultimately, I view my practice as a continuation of a healing tradition, using abstraction to create a "discourse at eye level" (auf Augenhöhe). My paintings are invitations to participate in a journey of recognition and forgiveness. I seek to contribute to a world that is fundamentally connected, transforming individual stories into a shared, inclusive human fabric.